Cartridge for absorbing co2



Dec. 23, 1958 v. GUILD CARTRIDGE FOR ABSORBING 00 Original Filed Nov. 13, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTQR. Lloyd V. Gui/d BY 14/ I 414.?

r ATTORNEYS Dec. 23, 1958 L. v. GUILD 2,865,720

CARTRIDGE FOR ABSORBING CO Original Filed Nov. 13, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3

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INVENTQR. Lloyd V. Gui/d HIS A T TORNEYS United States Fatah-t CARTRIDGE FUR AESORBING C Lloyd V. Guild, Library, Pa.

Original application November 13, 1951, Serial No. 255,928, now Patent No. 2.7%,845, dated May 22, 1956. Divided and this application April 4, 1956, Serial No. 576,033

1 Claim. (Cl. 23-284) This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 255,928, filed November 13, 1951, now Patent No. 2,746,845, which relates to a carbon train.

This invention relates to a C0 absorbing cartridge used in a carbon train which analyzes carbon in a sample of metal by combustion of the sample and by passage of the gases of combustion through the carbon train.

The accurate analysis of carbon in metals is an essential requirement in many metallurgical processes. A standard method of analysis for the carbon content has been in common use among steel chemists for many years. While many variations and modifications are in use, the essentials of the analysis procedure are as follows: A weighed sample of metal is placed in a tube-type furnace at approximately 2000 F., and burned in a stream of oxygen. The gaseous products of combustion consist of carbon dioxide, oxides of sulphur, and water vapor mixed with excess oxygen. The carbon dioxide present is due to the combustion of the carbon in the sample, and represents a measure of the carbon content of the metal. The oxides of sulphur and water vapor are removed chemically. The carbon dioxide is then removed chemically in a weighed container, and the quantity of carbon dioxide determined gravimetrically by the increase in weight. This is used to determine the percent of carbon in the sample in a known manner.

The equipment used is generally considered in terms of the combustion furnace for the combustion of the samples and the absorption vessels for the removal of water vapor, oxides of sulphur and carbon dioxide. The combination of absorption vessels is generally referred to as the carbon train.

A cartridge for absorbing CO in a carbon train performs two functions. First, it absorbs the CO from the gas passing therethrough and second, it absorbs the water produced from a reaction between the CO of the gas and an absorbent for the CO To perform these two functions, the cartridge has two absorbent bodies, one for the CO and the other'for the water or moisture, one of the products of the reaction between the CO and the absorbent therefor. Usually, the absorbent body for the CO is sodium or potassium hydroxide in some form. This absorbent body reacts with the carbon dioxide in the gas according to the following equation:

Downstream from the absorbent body for the CO in the cartridge is a drier or an absorbent for the moisture produced from the above reaction. The absorbent for the water is a material such as phosphorus pentoxide or' "the In order for the CO absorbent material to be active, it must have a certain amount of moisture. Heretofore, on long standing, the drier has removed the moisture from the CO absorbent, thereby rendering the cartridge inactive and in addition, by such moisture removal making itself unable to remove moisture formed from the CO absorbent reaction. Consequently, the CO cartridges used before my invention could not be stored for long periods of time but required usagewhile fresh.

My invention provides a cartridge for absorbing carbon dioxide which cartridge can be stored for long periods of time without loss of effectiveness. Specifically, my cartridge comprises a container with an inlet and an outlet for'the gas passing therethrough. In the container is an absorbent for the carbon dioxide and an absorbent for the moisture produced bythe CO absorption reaction located downstream of the carbon dioxide absorbent. Interposed between the carbon dioxide absorbent and the absorbent for the moisture is a valve or diaphragm which opens when the cartridge is in use but which seals off the carbon dioxide absorbent from the moisture absorbent when the cartridge is not in use.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention Figure l is a front elevation of a carbon train mounted on a mounting panel, the drawing being somewhat diagrammatic;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through a cartridge for absorbing CO Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through one of the fittings used for mounting the cartridge of Figure 3 on a mounting panel;

Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the resilient diaphragms used in the cartridge shown in Figure 3; and Figure 6 is 'a'vertical section taken on the line VIVI of Figure 5.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and for the present to Figures 1 and 2, a metal panel 2 is mounted on a base 3. An electric timing device 4 used for con trolling the time of combustion and the flushing of the train is mounted on the panel 2. The inlet 5 to the carbon train is connected to the combustion furnace by a short rubber tube connection not shown. Four glass absorption vessels or cartridges 6, 7, 8 and 9 are mounted on the panel 2. The cartridge 6 contains a material such as manganese dioxide for the removal of the oxides of sulphur. Cartridge 7 contains a material such as phosphorous pentoxide or magnesium perchlorate for the removal of water vapor. Cartridge 8 contains a material such as soda lime or Ascarite, which is a sodium hydroxide-asbestos preparation, the function of which is to absorb carbon dioxide. Vessel 9 is a sulphuric acid trap sealing the train from the atmosphere and is so constructed as to prevent the sucking of any air back into the absorption cartridge 8. The various parts of the carbon train are connected as shown by the dotted lines ltl'of Figure 1. These connections ill between the various vessels 69 are made of metal tubing which is welded to metal fixtures supported by the panel 2.

The absorption tower or cartridge 8 for absorbing C0 is shown in Figures 3, 5 and 6 and one of the fittingsused for supporting it on the panel 2 is shown in Figure 4. Referring tothese figures, the CO cartridge 8 consists of a glass vessel 40, provided adjacent its top and bottom with side arms "ll. having openings 42 communicating with the interior of the cartridge. In the bottom end of the cartridge is a Neoprene or rubber diaphragm piece 43 constructed as shown in Figures 5 and 6. It consists of a ring 44 molded to a diaphragm 45 having two slits 46 cut in it. The upper partdaa of the ring 44 is Patented Dec. 23, 1958 elongatedand', as shown'in-Figurefi, there are two slots 1 whichdiverge fromeach other in an upwardly extending dlISCtlO-H; In other words, the 'slots'divergeufrom each other from the 'lowersurface of the diaphragm r45'"('the surface of the diaphragm facing toward-the gas inlet 42) to the upper surface-of the diaphragin 45 (the surface of the diaphragm facing 1 toward the gas-' outlet A metal or plastic gauze piece-'9 is placedon top of the rubber piece 43 anda s'rnall p'o'rtion51 ofglass wool-is placed on top of the gauze?502"*"Th"e absorbent'fiz for CO2 is placed on top of the 'glasswool 51; This absorbeut can" be soda lime or Ascarite or any one of a number of commerciallyavailable absorbentsw On top-of the ab-' sor'bentSZis a layer 5410f gla'ss wool, andthen there is J another-or upper-"diaphragm piece-43z.- 'lhe u per-dis: phragm piece 43a i's similarto the lower diaphra'gm piece- 43-except that it does not' have the opening-47. A-piece- 50 of gauze is placed on top-"of the upper diaphragm piece 43a and'a small portion '51 of glass" wool is placed on the gauze 59. Above 'theglass wool-51 is a body 56 of a material such as phorphoro-us pentoxide ormagnesium perchlorate which absorbs moisture. A body 57 of glass wool is placed abov'eth'e' drier-'rnaterial 56."

The CO absorbent body 52 is usually either sodium or potassiumhyd'r'oitidein some form, which reacts with the carbon dioxide in the gas according to the following equation:

It can be seen that water is formed from thereaction; The purpose of employing the drier 56 is toprevent any of this water from'being carried off and thus changing the weight, which would lead to an inaccurate analysis.

The upper diaphragm or valve 430: shown in Figure 5 gives my cartridge the ability'to seal oh the CO absorbent material 52 from the moisture absorbent material 56 when the cartridge is not in use and the ability to permit flow of gas from the CO absorbent to the moisture absorbent when the cartridge is in use. Thus, the CO absorbent retains the requisite amount of moisture 'torender it active for the drier does not remove moisture therefrom and the drier itself retains its'capacity to absorb moisture formedby the reaction between the CO absorbeittand the gas. a

When the cartridge is in use,the outlet gases from the combustion furnace enter the inlet of the cartridge through the lowe'r side arm 41, and due to the increased pressure,

the slits 46 in the lower diaphragm 43 open, allowing the passage of gases upwardly through the CO absorbent 52, "through the opened slits in the upper diaphragm 43a and through the drier 56. However, when thecartridge is not in use, the pressure within the cartridge is reduced,

and the slits 46 in the upperlan'd lower diaphragm members 43 and 43a are 'closed, thereby causing the diaphragm member 43a to seal off the drier 56 from th'e CO absorbent 52. The diaphragm 43which' is located inthe bottom of the cartridge 8 serves to keep the absorbent 52 away from the inlet in thelo'wer side arm41, and also"- serves in use to break up the gas stream and to prevent" channeling as the gases-pass through the cartridge;-

In addition to the diaphragm pieces 43- and 43a,- other valves and diaphragms operate satisfactorily in my car tridge to seal off the drier from the CO absorbentr'naterial when the cartridge is not in use and when m use,

to open to permit a flow of combustion gases through the and is provided with a head 65- for threading-the fitting a into a threaded hole in the panel 2. 7 A neoprene"or rubber sleeve 66 fits within the tube '60, and'is fittedat its base between the tube 60 and the tube 63. Tight seals are made by forcing the side arms 41 into contact with the resilient sleeve 66 of the fittings. The cartridge can e easily removed from the fittings for weighing.

In view of the foregoing, it is clear'that my carbon dioxide cartridge has importantadvantages over those heretofore in use, In the first place, it can be stored for long periods of time Without losing its effectiveness whereas the previous cartridges hadto be used when fresh.

In the second place, users of mycartridge do not need to be continually concerned about the age of the cartridges in stock. Along with this concern is a tendency-to continually order additional new cartridges, thereby keeping an inventory of cartridges-largerthan necessary.

In the third place,--my cartridge-tendsto give more ac curate result-s,-especially' where the earbon content of the gas is high-because thy-cartridge preserves theefiectiveness of bo'th-theCG absorbent and the moisture absorbent by sealing on one 'a'bsorbent from the other when the cartridgeis not-in use'r On the other hand, the effectiveness t of the other cartridges even though fresh, tend to beim- 1 paired by the drier'abso'rbing'some of the essential moisture from the CO absorbent.

The invention is not limite'dfo'the preferred embodi ments but can be otherwiseembodie'd within the scope of the following claim."

I claim:-

A cartridge for absorbing CO5 from 'gas'paSsing'therB through,"said carriage comprising a container having'an inlet and an outlet for gas, an absorbent for CO2 inthe container, andabsorbent -for moisture in the container located downstream of said COi absorbent, a first 'valve' interposed between said absorbent and a second valve locate'd'i'n s'aid container'between the gas inlet and said absorbent for CO ,ea'ch"'of saidvalves being made 'of resilient material and comprising a diaphragm,{'a ring integral with said'diaphragm-and having a portion ex tending above and another"portion extending below said diaphragm, a portion of said ring being fiaretl outwardly to a greater diameter than said diaphragm for'fitting tightly against the inside of "said container, each of said valves having va plurality of elongated slitsextendin'g through said-diaphragm, said slits diverging .from' each other from' the surface of said diaphragm facing toward said inlet to the surface of said diaphragm facing toward said outlet, said second valve'havingan-opening in said ring adjacent the inlet to-said container.

References (iitedin the'file of this patent UNITED STAT-ES- PA'IENTS 

